Paint the Silence
by Rachel Carter McKenzie
Summary: Everyone thinks that Ryan was always the silent boy who watched every word that came out of his mouth. This wasn't always the case. PG13 to cover my butt lol
1. Begining to Change

Paint the Silence  
  
Everyone thinks that Ryan was always the silent boy who watched every word that came out of his mouth. They don't know there was a time that he was like any little boy, full of life and even talking with out having to think first. Ryan knows when that all changed.

Little 6-year-old Ryan, was sitting in the living room playing with the two toy cars that he had. Like any 6-year-old, he was talking to himself pretending that the cars had little people in them as he pushed them around the room. Ryan would look up every once in a while at his mother sitting in front of the television just staring at it. He noticed that lately his mom had started to drink stuff that would make her act funny. This scared Ryan because she would throw things and she even hit his brother Trey. Trey had knocked over his juice, his mother got really mad and she had been drinking that stuff for a little while already so she had gotten mad quicker. She smacked Trey and Ryan saw that the 9 year old was taken back by it as well. Ryan then had quietly gotten the paper towels and started to clean up the mess. Their mom just went over and watched television. Trey looked close to tears but didn't let any go.  
  
"Thanks." He said to Ryan as he took some towels to clean up. Ryan looked at him confused and scared. It was the first time their mom had hit either one of them.   
  
Ryan was brought out of his memory when he heard the front door open. He stood up and noticed his dad walk in.  
  
"Dad! Dad!" Ryan yelled happily and ran over to his father but stopped short when he noticed his father was staggering. "Are you ok dad?" Ryan asked concerned.  
  
"I'm fine." His dad mumbled. "Just tired." Ryan was a little skeptical about that but he continued to talk to his father.  
  
"Guess what I learned in school today dad!" Ryan said excitedly. His dad groaned so Ryan went on thinking he could cheer him up. "We learned how to add numbers and we learned how to print words and they are teaching us how to read better." Ryan went on excitedly. Ryan knew how to read just fine, even better then a normal 6-year-old, but he liked learning the other things the teachers taught. Ryan rambled on to his father about his day like he normally would.  
  
"Ryan shut up!" He heard his father say in a loud voice.. "I'm in no mood for all this noise!" He said nearly yelling. Ryan stepped back a little bit. His father always asked about this day.  
  
"I'm sorry." He said quietly.  
  
"Ryan leave your father alone. Get your cars and go to your room!" His mom yelled slurring and getting off the couch. Ryan looked back and forth between his parents. He couldn't understand what was happening to them. "You heard me....NOW!" His mom yelled and pushed the 6-year-old towards his cars. Ryan stumbled and fell hitting his arm on the table at the end of the couch. He whimpered in pain and started to cry. His mother came over to him.  
  
"Oh baby, I am so sorry." She said her voice now soft. Ryan was more confused. He let his mom hug him not wanting to tick them off more. His father just went to the bedroom. After a few minutes his mom let him go and he had calmed down. His arm still hurt but it wasn't as bad. "Go to your room baby." She said softly and Ryan nodded and got his cars and went to his room. He would be there the rest of the night. 'It will be better tomorrow.' Ryan thought to himself. 'They are just in a bad mood.'

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There is more.... it was going to be a one partere but I changed my mind. I donno how this is gonna go so I will let thee writing take over.... but please review :)


	2. Daddy Dearest

Hey guys just fyi....lol... my friend pointed out punctuation... I write the way I do for effect... to show either they are talking or thinking fast or slowly or if the character is confused...so on :) just wanted to clear it up :)  
  
enjoy!  
  
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Ryan woke up for school the next day and his arm was hurting. He put on a new shirt and noticed a very angry looking bruise on his upper arm. He decided to put on a long sleeve shirt instead. He walked in to the kitchen and saw Trey eating cereal out of the box.  
  
"No milk." He stated and handed the box to Ryan. He took a handful and munched on it.  
  
"Where is mom?" Ryan asked.  
  
"I don't know. Her and dad were gone when I woke up. Dad had work I guess." Trey said. Ryan was a little worried but told himself they would be here when they got back from school.  
  
Ryan walked home from school. It was hotter then usual for this time of year and he was regretting wearing the long sleeve shirt. He spent the whole day sweltering in the hot school. He saw Trey on the front steps.  
  
"I forgot my key." He said to Ryan. Ryan took out his key from his pocket and opened the door. They spotted their mother on the couch passed out. Ryan noticed she was drinking that stuff again.  
  
"Trey, what is she drinking?" Ryan asked, the innocence of being a kid in his voice.  
  
"It is called alcohol." Trey said to his little brother. "We learned about it in school and saw a video."  
  
"Why does it make her act funny?" Ryan asked.  
  
"It has something it in that gets in your blood and goes to your brain." Trey said pointing to his head for effect. "Effects the was you act....treat people." Trying to get the younger boy to understand. Little did they know that both boys would know the effect first hand.  
  
"Oh." Ryan said. The two boys sat down and watched television as their mother stayed passed out on the couch. About 7pm their father came stomping in the house. The two boys looked over at him.  
  
"Son of a bitch doesn't know what he is losing." He cursed. He looked over in the direction of his kids. "Where's dinner?" He asked angrily.  
  
"Mom has been asleep since we got home." Trey said. Their father groaned then went over to the couch. "Hey Dawn. wake your ass up!" He yelled and Dawn groaned. She opened her eyes.  
  
"What are you doing home so early?" She asked.  
  
"Early? It is past 7." He stated. "And there is no dinner." He finished angrily.  
  
"Well order something Derek!" She shot back.  
  
"With what money?! I just got laid off!" Derek stated. Ryan and Trey looked at each other worriedly.  
  
"What?" Dawn said. "Now what are we going to do?!" She yelled.  
  
"Well you can go out and get a job." He shot back. The two started yelling back and forth at each other and then Derek stormed out of the house. Dawn went to her room and the two boys were left in shock and to fend for themselves. They didn't know what was going to happen next but they knew it wasn't good.  
  
"Trey." Ryan said quietly.  
  
"Yea?"  
  
"I'm hungry." Trey looked down at this brother who's eyes he saw was scared and lost.  
  
"Lets see what we can find." He said and they walked in to the kitchen. A few minutes later they were eating some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  
  
"What's going to happen to us Trey?" Ryan asked looking at the almost eaten sandwich on his plate. Trey looked again at his brother. Ryan has some peanut butter and some jelly on his face and Trey wished he knew.  
  
"I don't know Ry. Lets get you cleaned up." Trey said and Ryan finished his sandwich, cleaned up their plates and went in to the bathroom to clean up. "You have to be hot in that shirt." Trey said handing him a t-shirt. Ryan took off the long sleeve shirt to put on the t-shirt. "What happened to your arm?" Trey said and Ryan remembered the bruise.  
  
"I fell." He said wincing as he put the shirt on part of the bruise peaking out under the shirt. Since it was a Friday night, after cleaning up they went back and watched some t.v. Later that night Derek came stumbling in. He noticed the kids on the couch.  
  
"What are you still doing up?" He slurred.  
  
"There is no school tomorrow so we wanted to watch T.V." Ryan said. Derek walked around to the front of t he couch.  
  
"You talking back to me?" Derek asked Ryan.  
  
"No. I..I..." Ryan stuttered suddenly very afraid of his father. His father yanked him off the couch by his uninjured arm.  
  
"We'll go to bed now dad." Trey said trying to get his father to let go of Ryan. Derek gripped Ryan hard.  
  
"Shut up Trey." Derek said looking at him the back handed Trey across the face. Trey stumbled back and Derek's attention was back on to Ryan. "Don't you ever talk back to me." He said and hit Ryan the same way he hit Trey. Ryan started to cry. This made his dad angrier. "Stop being a baby!" He yelled and pushed Ryan down to the ground. Trey went over to try to get Ryan out of there but Derek got to him first. He picked Ryan back up by the arm and brought him to the boy's bed room and closed the door. Leaving Trey out side helpless. This is when Ryan's world changed forever. 


	3. Downhill

Thanks for the reviews!!! I left it off where a few people thought I was done which would have worked too if no one reviewed...heehehe.. here is the next chappy!  
  
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Ryan woke up the next day hurting. He opened his eyes to see Trey sitting on the end of his bed.  
  
"Hey little brother." He said sadly. Ryan just looked at him. He wanted to cry but he didn't want his father to beat him again for crying. Last night when he was being beaten his father yelled at him that he better grow up, stop crying and take care of himself. His father had changed. He used to be different, nice and loving and cared about him. That was gone.  
  
"Are you ok?" Trey asked Ryan. Ryan noticed a bruise on his brothers face from where his father hit him.  
  
"It hurts." Was all Ryan said. Trey put some ice on Ryan's swelling eye.  
  
"That better?" He asked and Ryan nodded. "Want to take a shower?" Ryan nodded and Trey helped the boy up. Once in front of the bathroom Ryan spoke up.  
  
"I can do it." He said and Trey put his clothes on the towel rack and left. Ryan closed and locked the door. He realized he forgot to find out if his folks were home. He would find out after his shower. He began to undress and noticed all the bruises and cuts on his body. He turned on the water leaving it cool. He stepped in and let the cool water calm his aching body. Ryan realized that from this day on he wouldn't talk about anything unless it was necessary.  
  
"Ryan." Trey said as Ryan walked back in to the room. "We have to stick together now. No matter what we have to have each others backs." Trey said. Ryan nodded agreeing with him and slowly laid back down on his bed. His body still hurting.  
  
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Ryan began to with draw from things. He didn't participate as much in school, he stopped talking to the other kids. Trey began hanging out with tougher, rougher kids and Ryan wanted to stay around them because at the time he felt safer with his older brother and his tough friends.  
  
After a while those tough friends began getting Trey into drugs and drinking. Ryan tried to tell his brother not to do it. To see how it effected their parents but Trey didn't want to listen. Ryan still hung out with his brother and his friends but he didn't do the drugs or drinking. Ryan was a smart kid that way.  
  
One night the boys came home to see their father and another man exchanging money and what Ryan learned later to be cocaine.  
  
"Looks like dad has a new job." Trey whispered to Ryan. Trey then walked into the kitchen for something to drink. The man that gave his father the money glanced at Ryan before leaving the house. Ryan looked back at this father who was counting the money.   
  
Ryan would find out when he was older that his father was the middle man drug dealer. Derek would buy the drugs from a bigger dealer and then he would sell them at higher cost to the people in the neighborhood to make a profit.  
  
"What do you want to eat boys?" His father smiled. At the time Ryan thought this job may not be so bad if it meant he was going to be nice again.  
  
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A few months passed and things were far less then peachy. In the beginning things got some what better. His father didn't hit him or Trey and his mother had stopped drinking for a bit. But it didn't last long. His father and mother started to sample the drugs that were bought and again Ryan and Trey would try and stay away from home as much as possible.   
  
As the boys got older, Trey would smoke more pot and drink more with his friends. Trey would start getting in trouble more with other kids and get into fights. Since they made a pact to be there for each other, Ryan was usually dragged in to those fights.   
  
When the boys did go home it was to a drunk mother and a coked up father. If they were lucky they would be passed out but most of the time they weren't lucky and their father would go after them for a reason he would make up. This went on for four years.  
  
One day a now 10-year-old Ryan had locked himself in his room. His father tried to go after him the night before but was so out of it Ryan was able to get to his room and Trey was lucky enough to get out the front door. Ryan thought about going out his window but remembered that his father nailed it shut. He heard the phone ring and listened through the thin walls.  
  
"Yea?" He heard his father say. "Rick you will have it today....... yes! ok..... i know." He said then hung up. Ryan had learned a few years ago that Rick was his fathers supplier. He only calls here when he needs money. He heard the front door slam and the car start up and knew that his dad had left. Ryan ventured out of his room to find the house empty. He sighed with relief and went to get something to eat. He opened some cabinets and the refridge not really surprised to see nothing in them. He started looking in the couch cochins for extra change and he managed to get together two dollars. He then put on his leather jacket. Trey gave it to him when he out grew it and it was way to big for Ryan but he put it on anyway and headed out the door.  
  
Ryan headed to the 7-11 a few blocks down. They sold sandwiches for two dollars and the lady there liked Ryan and she would give him a drink for free. He knew she probably felt bad for him. She had seen the bruises but didn't say anything and she probably knew he was hungry so he guessed this was her way of trying to help. As he rounded the corner he saw cop cars in front of the 7-11. Ryan like any other 10-year-old stood and watched with curiosity. After a few minutes he saw a man being lead out in handcuffs and he suddenly wasn't very hungry any more.  
  
His father was being lead out and put in to a police car. The officer following them was holding a gun in his hand carefully. Ryan guessed his father just tried to rob the store. For a brief moment Ryan thought his life might get better now that his dad would be gone but then he felt bad for thinking about his own father like that. Ryan turned around and ran home.  
  
He ran in thee house to find it still empty. He had to find Trey and tell him what happened so he ran back out of the house and toward Auturo's. He was Trey's best friend so it was a good place to start.  
  
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More soon? Well that depends on you... no reviews... no more story lol...so please review :) 


	4. The move

Thanks for the reviews!! This will be a shorter story then "Outsiders" but I hope you enjoy it!  
  
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Ryan found Trey at Autoro's. They were busy smoking a joint and trying to fix a car.  
  
"Trey!" Ryan said out of breath.   
  
"What?" He asked annoyed that his little brother was there.  
  
"Dad got arrested." He said still out of breath.  
  
"You're kidding!" Trey said, his irritation gone. Ryan shook his head no. "Come on lets go home and wait for mom." Trey said then said see ya later to Autoro. The two boys walked back home, Ryan told him what he saw then they walked in silence. They walked in the door surprised to see their mother was home even more surprised to see her sober.  
  
"Boys, something happened." She said softly. Trey and Ryan looked at each other but didn't offer any information. "Your father was arrested..." She paused. "for armed robbery." She finished. They looked at her and both knew they should feel something. Sadness, anger or shock but both felt a sense of relief and both felt bad about it but couldn't deny it.  
  
"What's going to happen now?" 13-year-old Trey asked his mother. She looked at them and took a deep breath.  
  
"We are moving. We are going to make a new start. No more drugs or drinking. It will be a lot better." She said and she sounded like she meant it.  
  
"Where are we going?" Ryan asked softy talking to his mother for the first time in weeks.  
  
"I am thinking Chino. I am going to look for a place tomorrow." She said and got up from the couch. The two boys looked at each other. Maybe things would get better.  
  
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A week later Dawn had found a house in Chino. They packed their things and with in a day they were out of the old house and moving in to the new one. This house was about the same size as the old one but it didn't matter to Ryan, he was happy to have a sober mother and to start over. He and Trey had to share a room again but that didn't bother them since it was like that their whole life.  
  
For a while things were better. Dawn had a job and she had stopped drinking from what Ryan could see, they had food and electricity. Ryan started doing better in school and he even joined the soccer team.   
  
Six months later Dawn had met a man, Joey. Ryan, now 11, didn't like him from the start. There was something off about him and he was right. A week later, Dawn had gone out to get some food and Trey was at friends. Joey showed up and said he would wait for Dawn to come back and told Ryan to get him something to drink and Ryan brought back some soda. Ryan watched as Joey pulled out a small bottle of vodka from his jacket and pored it in to his drink. Ryan then got up to go to his room but he tripped and knocked over Joey's drink accidentally. Joey got really angry. Ryan went to go get some paper towels but Joey grabbed him by the wrist.  
  
"Let me go!" Ryan yelled. Joey back handed him across the face. Ryan froze.   
  
"You little shit! You cost me my last bottle!" Joey yelled then hit Ryan again. Ryan let out a small whimper but didn't cry. Joey let him go and Ryan left the house. Once outside, he ran from the house and towards where Trey was. He stopped running a block from the house and felt his face. The side of his face was swelling and his lip was cut. He noticed an angry purple bruise around his right wrist where Joey grabbed him.  
  
He got to Autoro's, it worked out that they moved only two blocks away from him. He knocked on the door and Autoro's sister Teresa answered the door.  
  
"What happened to you?" She asked. Ryan ignored her question.  
  
"Is Trey here?" he asked ad she nodded. She let him in and lead him back to Autoro's room. She knocked on his door. A mumbled 'what?' came from inside.  
  
"Ryan is here for Trey." She said and the door opened. Trey stood up at the sight of his brothers face.  
  
"What happened?" He asked. Ryan shifted his eyes between Teresa and Autoro.  
  
"Can we..." Ryan said pointing out the door.  
  
"Sure." He said then turned to his friend. "Be right back." Autoro nodded. Once outside Trey asked again.  
  
"What happened?" Ryan sat down on the curb and Trey joined him.  
  
"Joey." Ryan whispered. Trey took a deep breath. It was starting again.  
  
"Damn it!" Trey said angry. "We will tell mom when she gets home from work later." Ryan nodded not sure how well that will work. "I bought these today." Trey said pulling out two leather looking wrist cuffs. "I was going to give one to Autoro but I think you should have it." Ryan looked at him and Trey took Ryan's bruised wrist and put the cuff on. Ryan smiled. The bruise was completely covered. Ryan watched as Trey put his on. It was a bond between the boys no matter how twisted it may seem.  
  
The boys walked back home but didn't go in. They waited for their mother to arrive. A few minutes later Dawn pulled up and got out.  
  
"Hi boys." She said. "What happened to you?" She asked in a 'what did you do' voice.  
  
"Joey hit him." Trey said flatly. She looked at Ryan.  
  
"That true?" She asked and he nodded. "Well what did you do to make him do that?" Ryan and Trey looked at her in shock. A man she just met hit her son and she was asking what he did to cause it. She walked past them and into the house. The two boys followed her.  
  
"Your kid owes me a bottle of vodka." Joey said from his spot on the couch. "He had the nerve to knock it over." Dawn just waved him off. Ryan and Trey went to their room.   
  
"It is going to happen again Trey." Ryan said flatly. Trey plopped down on the bed. "I thought she was going to change."  
  
"Me too Ry. Me too." Trey said sadly. 


	5. The Family

Thanks for the reviews..... this is the last chappy.... depending on reviews.... there might be a sequel.  
  
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Things got worse. The years went on and Dawn had one abusive boyfriend after another. All were drug addicts, were drunks and got their kicks out of beating up the boys. When Trey hit 16 he started spending many nights at a time away from home. Ryan tried to do the same but Treys friends would get tired of him hanging around and the few friends he had couldn't always have him stay. Ryan would try hard to stay out of the way and not annoy the men that came into the house. Ryan was small for his age, the school nurse had told his mother that he wasn't getting the right nutrition and that's why for 13, he wasn't that tall. She said she would take care of it but of course didn't.  
  
In the past 2 years he has been in the hospital four times. All because of his mothers boy friends. Dan broke his leg by hitting him with a bat. Jack broke his arm and beat him so badly that he was arrested and sentenced to 5 years. Mike broke his other arm when he found his stash missing and blamed Ryan. George broke his collar bone when Ryan walked in to the house when George had been drunk and his friends were there. They thought it was fun to watch Ryan get beaten up.  
  
Three years later, Ryan was now 16 and his mothers latest boyfriend was AJ. She has been with him for about a year. He was bigger then Ryan and he too liked to beat on Ryan. AJ was a leach. He would mooch off his mother and spend the little money she made on drugs and booze.   
  
One night in August, Ryan was hanging out with Trey. Trey owed some drug dealers some money and he was deciding how come out with the money. He asked Ryan for ideas but all Ryan could say was he should get a job. Trey told him even if he did that he wouldn't make the money fast enough. It was getting late but Ryan didn't want to go home. It was still to early for AJ to be passed out. They walked down the road and came to a gold Camero. It was a nice looking ride.  
  
"Sweet!" Trey said. Then his face lit up. "If I could get this to the guys, I would be out of debt!" He said picking up a metal bar that was on the ground. Ryan looked around.   
  
"I don't know Trey." he said worried. Ryan knew this would mean heavy jail time if caught.  
  
"If I don't teach you this Ryan, who will?" Trey said back then smashed the window of the car. Ryan watched him hot wire the car. "Get in Ryan!" Trey yelled. Ryan looked to the end of the block and saw a cop car pass.  
  
"I donno about this." He said and saw the cop car back up and start it's lights.  
  
"GET IN!" Trey yelled and Ryan got in the car as Trey started to hit the gas. The cops followed and Ryan couldn't believe he was in a high speed chase.   
  
"OH NO!" Ryan said as the car swerved and they hit the wall. At the time he thought it was the worse thing that could happen to them. The next day he met his attorney and he got Ryan out of juvie. His mom pulled up yelling and the man gave Ryan his number just in case. When Ryan got home, his mom yelled at him and told him to get out.  
  
"Where am I gonna go?" Ryan asked looking like he was about to cry.  
  
"You heard you mother, get your stuff and get out." AJ said from the couch. Ryan looked at him and told him to worry about his own kids and AJ punched him. He tried to fight back but AJ hit him again. Ryan regretted not keeping his mouth shut. AJ pushed Ryan to his room to pack some things then Ryan left on his bike. He went to the nearest pay phone and called all the people he knew but no one could help him. He reached in to his pocket and pulled out the card his lawyer gave him. Sandy Cohen 555-2121 and dialed it.  
  
To Ryan the rest is history. For the past few months he has been living with the Cohen's. At first he was unsure, it was to good to be true. These people wanted him here but there had to be a catch because there is always a catch. But he realized that they really cared about him when he burned down Kirsten's model home and they still wanted him living with them. Kirsten took him out of juvie and brought him back to her home and he expected when they got back to the house she would either hit him or have Sandy do it. But they didn't kick him out or beat the shit out of him. He is still quiet, watching what's going on around him but he is slowly starting to open up and talk to his foster parents.  
  
Ryan was brought out of his trip though not so happy memory lane, by Seth splashing him from the pool.  
  
"Yo Ryan....You with us buddy?" He laughed. Ryan looked at him for a moment then smiled.  
  
"Sorry, I was thinking." Ryan said.  
  
"Long thought." Seth said and splashed him again.  
  
"HEY!" Ryan yelled playfully and got up. "You will pay for that." He said, took of his shirt and jumped into the pool. He then proceeded to dunk Seth.  
  
"MOM HELP!" Seth yelled when he was briefly out of the water. Kirsten looked over from the table where she and Sandy were sitting.  
  
"No way Seth you asked for it." She said laughing. Ryan stopped dunking Seth.  
  
"Well, I guess he is your new favorite." Seth said in mock hurt. Ryan, Sandy and Kirsten laughed at him.  
  
"Yep." Was all Kirsten said and Seth pouted more which made them laugh harder. Ryan liked it here. He had a family that cared about him and he cared about them too. Ryan smiled to himself grateful for the second chance at family and a good life.  
  
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fin..... over...done.....more? part 2? up to you! so review! lol 


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